Experts are deciding on the best way to raise a large barge and its cargo of wind turbine towers that sank in the Chao Phraya River.
The incident took place about 300 metres from the Nuan Chawi Bridge, in Muang district on Monday afternoon.
Somkiat Kosikrainiramol, director of the marine department regional office in Nonthaburi, said the barge was taking four wind turbine towers from Chon Buri’s Sattahip port to Nakhon Luang district of Ayutthaya province.
It sank at around 3 pm on Monday, local media reported.
Marine investigators said water had been pumped into the hold so that the boat would sit lower in the water. This was done so that the barge could pass under the Nuam Chawi bridge at high tide. However, it became unstable, sank and settled on the bottom. Only a small part of the structure and cargo remain above water.
There were no injuries reported.
Mr Somkiat said it would take some time to plan the recovery of the barge and the turbine towers because of their large size.
